Mystery toy or puzzle



lmrsmmf 'roarolaA PuzzLE File@ nay g5; 194e INVENTOR JCK C. WILSON BY E ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE MYSTERY 'roy on rUzzLE Jack c. wilson, Gex-den city; N. Y.

Application May 25, 1948, Serial No. 29,168

Y 4 claims. (ci. 1s- 45) This invention relates to mystery toys and puzzles, and more particularly to a mystery toy employing the motive forces of magnets.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide an improved mystery toy such as disclosed in my co-pending application for patent Ser. No. 6,374, filed February 5, 1948, including a casing having a recess for receiving an object and including a magnet fixed in the object, and a second magnet movable in the casing so that in one position of the movable magnet it will peacefully receive the object and in another position it will reject the same, characterized, however, by the fact that magnetic anchoring means are disposed in the casing temporarily to anchor the movable magnet for predetermined actions, one action to receive the object and the other to reject the object.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodi` ments thereof illustrated in the accompanyingA 2 and a south pole I9. The magnet I1 in length is preferably about half the distance between the plates I5 and I6, and in the present instance is cylindrical in cross section.

The casing' I is preferably composed of a plastic or the like non-magnetic substance and is provided with a plate 20 of cardboard, plastic material or the like which is secured in placevr after the plates |`5 and I6 and the magnet I1 are located in the base 2. The short side walls 5 and 6 determine the head room of the casing I.

The object 2| in the present instanceis conformed to portray an Egyptianv mummy. Its leg l portion 22 has `diverging sides 23, 24 readily to shown in Fig. 1 andof the object shown in Fig.-

2 when the magnet in the casing is positioned in object receiving position.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the casing of another embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. l, 3 and 4, the casing I is formed in the shape of a coflln having an enlarged base 2, two elongated diverging side walls 3 and 4, two short diverging side walls 5 and S, and two end walls 'I and 8, all formed of one piece with a recess or\pocket 9, vsee Fig. 1, in the base 2 having an elongated chamber I0 with recesses II and I2 extending laterally from one end and recesses I3 and I4 extending laterally from the other end. In the recesses II and I2, there is positioned a plate I5 composed of soft iron or the like substance attractable by a magnet. In the recesses |'3 and `I l, on the other hand, there is positioned a similar soft iron plate I6. The length of the plates I5 and I5 is such iit between the side walls 3 and 4 of the casing I, and the sides 25 and .25 of the head portion 21 vsimilarly are diverglng readily to flt between the side walls 5 and 6 0f the casing I. The object 2| preferably is also composed of some non-magnetic substance, such as a plastic material, and has molded or located within the same, a permanent magnet 28, with its north pole 29 facing toward the head end of the lobject 2| and its south pole 38 facing toward the foot end thereof.

Preferably, also as shown, the magnet 28 is less than half the length of the object 2| with its south pole 30 disposed adjacentV the middle thereof. s

From the foregoing it will thus appear 'that when the magnet I1 of the casing I is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3, one end of the same, its south pole I9, will be magnetically held in engagement with the plate I5 and then when the object 2| is placed in the chamber 3|' formed between the walls 3, 4, 5, 6, 1 and 8, the south pole 30 of the object 2| will be disposed adjacent to the north pole I8 of the magnet |1 and the object 2I Willrest peacefully in the chamber 3|.

If, now, however, the object 2| is removed, and

the casing I is given a sharp blow on the head end, that is, on'the outer face of the wall 8, the magnet I1 will be caused to move into engagement 'with the plate I6 and as -soon as its north pole I 9 engages the plate I6, the magnet I'1 will be magnetically anchored in such position,

' until the casing I is again given a sharp blow on that they will be anchored by such recesses at permanent magnet I 1, having a north pole I8.

the foot end of the casing In this position, however, where the north pole I8 of the magnet I1 engages the plate I6, when an attempt is made to place the object 2| into the chamber 3|, the north poles 29 and I8 and the south poles 39 and I9, respectively, will repel one another and cause the object 2| to be rejected from the chamber 3l. As distinguished from the earlier application for patent, ser'. No. 6,374, itv will be per face of the plate 32.

. present instance positioned in the bottom of the recess or pocket 33 formed in the base of the casing 35 to cooperate with the permanent magnet 36. In the present instance, the magnet 36 is conformed as a disk or block with its fiat face resting on, or in engagement with, the up- I-Iere, just as is the case with the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the magnet 36 may be moved from one end of the pocket 33 to theother by a sharp blow struck at either end of the casing 35, the magnet 36 here,4

however, being always in engagement with the plate 32 and magnetically anchored in position by said plate 32. The disk 36 preferably has its north pole 31 facing upwardly and its south pole 38 facing downwardly so that when the object 2i is attempted to be positioned in the chamber 39 when the magnet 36 is disposed adjacent to the head end 40 of the casing 35, the north poles 29 and 31 will repel one another'to reject or oppose reception of the object 2i. On the other hand, when the foot end 4| of the casing is given a sharp blow, it will cause the magnet 36 to be moved to the other end of the pocket 33, and thereupon, when the object 2i is placed in the chamber 39, the north pole 31 of the magnet 36 and `the south pole 39 of the object '2| will attract one another and permit the object 2| to rest peacefully in the chamber 39.

It is obvious that various changes and` modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. I

I claim:

l. In a magnetic toy, the combination of a non-magnetic casing having two adjacent chambers, one openand the other closed, separated from one another by a non-magnetic partition,

a permanent magnet mounted in -said closed chamber and adapted to move longitudinally therein, reieasableanchoring means xed in said closed chamber and adapted to retain said movable magnet in two positions in said closed cham- V"ber by the attraction of said movable magnet on said means, and a body of non-magnetic ma-- terial simulating a humanilgure or the like having a second permanent magnet fixed therein in a predetermined longitudinal portion thereof, said body conformingA in shape and size to fit into the open chamber only in properly oriented end to end position, like poles of the permanent magnets cooperating with one another to expel said body from said position in the open chamber when the movable magnet is in one of said two positions and said like poles being out of coactive range to enable said body to remain in said open chamber when the movable magnet is in the other of said two positions.

2. In a magnetic toy, the combination of a nonmagnetic casing having two adjacent chambers, one open and the other closed, separated from one another by a non-magnetic partition, a permanent bar magnet longitudinally slidable in said closed chamber, means for releasably anchoring said permanent magnet in two positions in said closed chamber, and a body of non-magnetic material simulating ahuman figure or the like having a second permanent bar magnet fixed therein longitudinally in a predetermined longitudinal portion thereof, said body vconforming in shape and size to t into the open chamber only in properly oriented end to end position, like poles of the permanent magnets being adjacent to one another to expel said body from said position in the open chamber when the movable magnet is in one of said two positions and unlike poles being adjacent to one`another to hold said body -in said open chamber when the movable magnet is in the other of said two positions. t

3. The combinationas set forth in claim 1 in which the releasable anchoring means consists of a soft iron plate disposed in the bottom of the closed chamber and extending the full length thereof for slidable engagement with the movable f magnet.

4. The combination as set forth in ,claim 1 in which the releasable anchoring means consists of two soft iron plates disposed at the opposite ends of the closed chamber for engagement with the movable magnet, oneat either end of said closed chamber.

JACK C. WILSON.

REFERENCES cr'rnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:y

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

